Medicine Ball, anyone?

One of the benefits of having a medicine ball is that you can do a variety of workouts while at home or wherever you bring the ball with you (seriously?). Along with a jump rope, you can make a circuit out of these simple yet helpful equipment.

Disclaimer. This is only one of the circuits that I do at home (when I can't go to Red Gloves to box or the gym near our house- 5 minute walk from our house, to be exact). You might want to try this also, lower the scale a bit or do the opposite, use a heavier medicine ball, add a few more repetitions and add an exercise that's a staple on your workout.

So the only things you need for this circuit are a medicine ball (mine's 3 kilograms and yes, I use light weights only), and jump rope.

The circuit starts with 3 sets of 5 minute jumping rope with 1 minute rest time.

(You can do a variety of positions of your feet for this- depends on what you usually do at the gym)

Next comes my favorite part, using the medicine ball. These exercises work the whole body plus there's a lot of it so you can vary the combinations.

(For the animations, check out http://bit.ly/caEAkj)

30 reps of each continuously

Medicine Ball Hammer

Overhead Triceps Extensions

Figure Eights

Medicine Ball Lunge Crossovers

Slams

The key is speed and of course, proper form. I start with the Hammer and Extensions to warm up my arms and then I finish of with the Slams because I like doing it- just like how I like tossing tires.

After the medicine ball exercises, I continue with body weight exercises but still use the medicine ball.

3 sets 12 reps of each push up

Side-Middle-Side (Okay, I coined it that way because I can't find a proper name for it)

-do a push up with your right hand on the medicine ball, the do a push up with both hands on the ball, then do another with the left hand on the ball.

Diamond Push Ups (hands on the medicine ball)

-place both hands on the medicine ball, slide your feet apart almost at shoulder-width

I finish off with another 15 minutes of jumping rope (because I like it).

I do this circuit for 2-3 sets. Takes more or less 20-30 minutes.

So there you have it, one of the circuits that I do at home. I try to do this after work because I still want to work out even after 8-10 hours of therapy with my kids.

But be sure to do proper stretching, warm up and after work out, water, rest and sleep.

If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please contact me. I'd like to hear your feedback regarding this post.

Do you have a favorite circuit exercise that you do at home? Care to share it?

(Next time, I'll highlight the benefits of the exercises that I do so you'll get why I actually do them)

In all things, persevere,

Anthony Verrick Dones